The intellect is bewildered, wondering whether this one (the Sadr-i Jahán) attracted him (the lover), or whether the attraction came from that quarter (from the lover) to this side.

عقل حیران کین عجب او را کشید ** یا کشش زان سو بدینجانب رسید

Abandon presumption, for thou art ignorant of this. Close thy lips: God best knoweth the secret.

ترک جلدی کن کزین ناواقفی ** لب ببند الله اعلم بالخفی

Henceforth I will bury this topic. That Drawer is drawing me (in another direction): what can I do?

این سخن را بعد ازین مدفون کنم ** آن کشنده می‌کشد من چون کنم

Who is he that is drawing thee, O solicitous one? He who doth not allow thee to utter this word.4455

کیست آن کت می‌کشد ای معتنی ** آنک می‌نگذاردت کین دم زنی

Thou makest a hundred resolutions to journey (to a certain spot): He draweth thee to some other place.

صد عزیمت می‌کنی بهر سفر ** می‌کشاند مر ترا جای دگر

He turns the (horse's) bridle in every direction in order that the untrained horse may gain knowledge of the rider.

زان بگرداند به هر سو آن لگام ** تا خبر یابد ز فارس اسپ خام

The clever horse is well-paced because it knows that the rider is (mounted) on it.

اسپ زیرکسار زان نیکو پیست ** کو همی‌داند که فارس بر ویست

He fixed thy heart on a hundred passionate desires, disappointed thee, and then broke thy heart.

او دلت را بر دو صد سودا ببست ** بی‌مرادت کرد پس دل را شکست

Inasmuch as He broke the wings of that first intention (of thine), how was not the existence of the Wing-breaker perfectly established (in thy mind)?4460

چون شکست او بال آن رای نخست ** چون نشد هستی بال‌اشکن درست

Since His ordainment snapped the cord of thy contrivance, how was not God's ordainment perfectly established (clearly proven) to thee?

چون قضایش حبل تدبیرت سکست ** چون نشد بر تو قضای آن درست

(Showing that) the annulment and destruction of (human) resolutions (is) in order to let man know that He (God) is the Lord and the Almighty; and His occasional non-annulment of his (man's) resolution and His carrying it into effect (is) in order that hope may urge him to form a resolution, so that He again may destroy it, to the end that warning may follow on warning.

So that each (of them) was gnashing his teeth and chewing his lips in anger against the veracious Prophet;4475

تا همی خایید هر یک از غضب ** بر رسول صدق دندانها و لب

(But) notwithstanding that anger, they dare not utter a word, because they are in the ten-maund chain of violence.

زهره نه با آن غضب که دم زنند ** زانک در زنجیر قهر ده‌منند

Their custodian is marching them along to the city: he is taking them by force from the land of the infidels.

می‌کشاندشان موکل سوی شهر ** می‌برد از کافرستانشان به قهر

(They say to each other), “He (the Prophet) will not accept any ransom or any gold: no intercession is coming from any prince.

نه فدایی می‌ستاند نه زری ** نه شفاعت می‌رسد از سروری

He is called a mercy to the world, and he is cutting the throats and gullets of a (whole) world (of people).”

رحمت عالم همی‌گویند و او ** عالمی را می‌برد حلق و گلو

With a thousand (feelings of) disbelief they marched along, railing under their breath at the actions of the (spiritual) king,4480

با هزار انکار می‌رفتند راه ** زیر لب طعنه‌زنان بر کار شاه

(Saying), “We remedied (our former troubles), but in this case there is no remedy: truly this man's heart is not inferior (in hardness) to a rock.

چاره‌ها کردیم و اینجا چاره نیست ** خود دل این مرد کم از خاره نیست

We, thousands of men brave as lions, (fighting) with two or three feeble and half-dead naked fellows,

ما هزاران مرد شیر الپ ارسلان ** با دو سه عریان سست نیم‌جان

Are left helpless like this: is it on account of (our) wrong-doing or (unlucky) stars, or is it sorcery?

این چنین درمانده‌ایم از کژرویست ** یا ز اخترهاست یا خود جادویست

His fortune tore up our fortune; our throne was overturned by his throne.

بخت ما را بر درید آن بخت او ** تخت ما شد سرنگون از تخت او

If his cause became mighty (was made to prevail) by sorcery, we too practised sorcery: how did not it succeed?4485

کار او از جادوی گر گشت زفت ** جادوی کردیم ما هم چون نرفت

[Commentary on the verse (of the Qur’án), “If ye ask for a decision, the decision has indeed come to you. O railers, ye were saying, ‘Give the decision and victory to us or to Mohammed, whichever is in the right’; and ye were saying this in order that it might be supposed that ye were seeking the right disinterestedly. Now We have given the victory to Mohammed, to the end that ye may see the champion of the right.”]